Sue Couch

Orientation Programs for Older and Delayed-Entry Graduate Students.

The authors explore the usefulness of orientation programs for students aged 27 and older who delayed entry to graduate school and whether differences in personal importance of orientation programs, willingness to participate in them, and preferences in matters of scheduling and topics. The results indicated that several demographic variables affected the interest level in some topics, suggesting that a cafeteria-workshop style format, which would allow students to select just those sessions that were of interest to them, may be the best for this group.

Factors Affecting Women's Career Advancement in the Hospitality Industry: Perceptions of Students, Educators and Industry Recruiters

Abstract The underrepresentation of women in top management positions is an important concern in the hospitality industry, in spite of the increasing number of women employees. This study examined factors affecting womens career advancement in the hospitality industry. An online survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 226 hospitality students, educators and recruiters. Seven factors were extracted: External (e.g. network, mentor), Character, Equity, Family issues, Lack of support, Advancement and Treatment. A major finding of this research was that significant differences existed in perceptions by gender and groups (students, educators, and recruiters). Group differences showed that industry recruiters always had significant differences with educators and students. The findings indicated that hospitality education programs could implement a number of measures to better prepare women for leadership roles in the hospitality industry.

Research in Family and Consumer Sciences Education, 1985–2000

This review addresses significant events that have influenced research in family and consumer sciences education, major publication outlets, leading researchers, problems studied, methodologies used, and a summary of thesis and dissertation research completed from 1985 to 1999. Nearly three fourths of the 237 research articles reviewed were published in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Research topics focused primarily on professional roles and characteristics of family and consumer sciences educators, program evaluation, and priority issues including the need for family and consumer sciences teachers. Collaborative research efforts, focus on critical issues in family and consumer sciences education, use of interpretive frameworks and qualitative methods, and progress in using theory are cited as strengths. Challenges for future research include avoiding overreliance on empirical and survey methods, strengthening interaction between research and theory, increasing the number of individuals engaged in research on a continuing basis, and strengthening graduate student research.

The Role of Hospitality Education in Women's Career Advancement: Responses From Students, Educators, and Industry Recruiters

The purpose of the study was to explore the roles of hospitality education programs in preparing women for leadership roles in the industry and in reducing industry barriers to womens advancement. Literature reviews suggested both educators and industry leaders should take responsibility for preparing women for success as well as preparing education programs to create a more equitable environment for women. Data were collected through an online survey from a convenience sample of 226 hospitality students, educators, and industry recruiters. The sample groups were selected to represent the views of future leaders of the industry, the educators who prepare and mentor them, and those individuals who serve as industry gatekeepers. Major themes were identified through a content analysis of narrative responses to open-ended questions from the three groups. Themes identified for preparing women for leadership included: “focus on leadership skills,” “mentoring,” and “provide female role models.” Themes identified for reducing barriers included: “educate women about the barriers they will face” and “teach women to value their abilities.” The findings demonstrate that hospitality education programs can contribute to the creation of a more supportive industry environment for women.

Facilitators and Constraints: Perceptions of Gender Differences on Women’s Career Advancement

The underrepresentation in top management positions has made women’s status in the hospitality industry a great concern. The study examined hospitality students’, educators’, and industry recruiters’ perceptions of facilitators and constraints on women’s career advancement and identified if there were any significant differences among them. Data were collected through an online survey. Perceptions of gender differences of facilitators and constraints in women’s career advancement and gender issues were analyzed within the three groups (students, educators, and recruiters). Results revealed significant gender differences between male and female educators and recruiters. The findings suggested that hospitality education should make a contribution and reveal barriers and gender issues in the industry.

Vocational Education and CETA: A Cooperative Approach to Job Training.

Ruth W. Votz, Assistant Professor, Merrilyn N. Cummings, Assistant Professor, Sue Couch, Assistant Professor, Joan M. Kelly, Associate Professor, and Valerie Chamberlain, Associate Professor are all in the Department of Home Economics Education, College of Home Economics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. When Congress passed the reauthorization bill for the Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA) in October 1978, a number of